That final round saw 36-year old Westwood end six shots clear of English compatriot Ross McGowan and eight clear of third-placed Rory McIlroy. The $1,250,000 prize money for winning the Dubai World Championship also took him into first place in the season-long Race to Dubai (The European Tour Order of Merit), winning a further $1,500,000 in bonus pool prize money. The combined payout is golf’s single largest prize fund paid to a single player on The European Tour.
Westwood started his final round on Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth course as he meant to go on, with two birdies in the first three holes pushing him three shots ahead and from there he never looked back. Even a late run of five birdies in a row from McGowan from the 12th onwards failed to put a dent in Westwood’s lead. His victory was watched by 58,000 people in total over the four days, with more than 15,000 present on the final day.
The Race to Dubai, a 382 day campaign involving players from 40 nations, was a season-long competition spanning 51 tournaments on the 38th European Tour International Schedule visiting 27 destinations. In addition to his large cheques Westwood picked up a couple of large trophies: the Harry Vardon Trophy (first awarded in 1937) for winning the Race to Dubai, together with a seven year European Tour Card exemption and Category 1 Membership of The European Tour similar to the winners of The Open Championship, the US Open, the US PGA Championship and the Masters Tournament; he also picked up the new Dubai World Championship baton (sceptre?).
Triumphant Trophy
Designed by master jeweller Asprey of London, the one-metre long baton is made of 7.3 kg of silver. Saeed Harib, Managing Director, Nakheel Leisure, said, “We started with the idea that there is currently no global trophy that is natural for a player to place in one hand and then raise above his head in triumph.”
The trophy will extend with each victory as each winner’s name will be engraved on the inner cylinder and then locked in place. “The shape of the trophy is really quite unique and like no other major trophy in world sport,” added Harib.
His win in Dubai, inevitably described by many commentators as the best golf of his career, takes Lee Westwood to fourth place in the world rankings and, for the second time in his career, to the number one slot in Europe.
Second-placed Ross McGowan had pushed Rory McIlroy into third position in the Dubai World Championship after day three. Just two strokes behind Westwood on the start of the final day, McGowan was unable to contend on day four. Westwood reached the turn in just 31 strokes, added three more birdies in the next six holes and coasted to a comfortable finish – his final putt on the 18th gave him a bogey-free sequence of 46 holes and surely the most significant win of his 31 tournament victories.
Lee Westwood finished the European Tour’s final event 23-under par. There has been criticism from some quarters that the Earth course didn’t ask tough enough questions of the golfers. However, it is worth remembering a couple of points; first, that eight of the players in the Dubai World Championship actually failed to beat the level par aggregate of 288 over the four days golfing; second, that the course was designed for a residential community.
Par for the course
Former world number one and course designer Greg Norman commented, “It wasn’t designed specifically for tournament play. I think everybody has got to keep that in perspective. The course will evolve.
“The trees will get fuller and I might shift a few trees more into the play area. But if I do that, then 51 weeks of the year the residents who will play here are going to be penalised.”
Speaking at the post-event press conference, a grinning Lee Westwood said, “If you ever wanted a tournament to burst on to the scene and have your first one out, that’s probably as good as it gets out there. You’ve got The Race to Dubai and the two people that are sort of in the frame for winning it coming down the stretch; you probably couldn’t get any better.
“I think Dubai and the golf course and The European Tour have come out of it looking fantastic. I think it’s a great effort for golf in this region. I think it’s a great advert for golf on The European Tour. It shows the quality of the players that we have on this tour.”
Westwood’s course record of 64 on the final day followed an almost-as-impressive 66 on day three. His six shot victory equals the European Tour’s record winning margin but still left him six behind Ernie Els’ 29-under par in the 2003 Johnny Walker Classic at the Lake Karrinyup Country Club, Perth, Australia.
Today Dubai, tomorrow Abu Dhabi?
Raising the curtain for the 2010 European Tour, the fifth Abu Dhabi Golf Championship takes place at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club on 21-24 January. Lee Westwood said, “I’ve been performing well and have been putting the training in, both for my game and my fitness, which has made a massive difference. For me, it’s important that I maintain this streak, so I need to continue working hard throughout the winter and come back to Abu Dhabi fresh and ready to launch my 2010 season on a high.
"I’m looking forward to getting out there and rekindling some of the battles I’ve been fighting all this season. Abu Dhabi is going to be a tough field and I know a lot of the guys who gave me a run in the Dubai World Championship will be back and looking for revenge.”
Westwood is currently one of the sport’s most consistent players, having finished in the top 10 at more than 24 events over the last two seasons. A six-time Ryder cup player and two-time European Tour player of the year, Westwood is one of only a handful of golfers to win a tournament on every major continent.
Another great competition is on the cards. Among those teeing up against the Race to Dubai 2009 winner will be world number six and two-time Abu Dhabi winner, Paul Casey, world number eight, Spain’s Sergio Garcia, and Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy, the current number 13. Meanwhile, local interest in the field may centre on Richard Sheridan, resident coach at the Al Badia Golf Club, who took the place on offer for UAE-based professionals at a qualifying event at the Abu Dhabi course on 29 November.
Tickets for the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship are AED 125 for a daily pass and AED 400 for a four-day pass. Children under 18 will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Car parking will be free during the Championship.
And if you can’t make it to the Abu Dhabi tournament (and even if you can) don’t forget to mark your diary for the European Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic on 4-7 February at the Emirates Golf Course.